WASHINGTON — Less than 14% of individuals arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during the Trump administration had violent criminal records, according to new figures from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The statistics provide a breakdown of ICE arrests under the administration’s immigration enforcement policies and offer a detailed look at the criminal histories of people detained in federal immigration operations. DHS compiled the data from official records tracking arrests carried out by ICE officers nationwide.
The dataset separates cases involving violent offenses from those involving non-violent offenses or no criminal convictions. Violent crimes in the records include offenses typically classified under federal or state law as assault, robbery, sexual assault, or homicide.
The data show that most people arrested did not have a record of violent crime. Many arrests involved non-violent offenses or immigration-related violations, including traffic offenses, fraud, drug possession, prior immigration infractions, or no recorded criminal history in federal databases.
The less than 14% figure refers specifically to individuals with violent criminal records at the time of their arrest and does not include everyone with any criminal history. DHS uses internal classifications based on court records and law enforcement databases to categorize offenses and report enforcement activity.
The figures come as the Trump administration expanded immigration enforcement, increased interior operations, and broadened the pool of individuals considered priorities for arrest and removal. ICE conducted operations across multiple states targeting people with outstanding removal orders, prior convictions, or alleged immigration violations.
The records show that ICE arrested individuals with varied backgrounds, including some with serious criminal histories and others with minor offenses or administrative violations. The dataset distinguishes among categories of prior offenses rather than presenting a single classification for all detainees.
DHS released aggregated data without personal identifying information as part of its internal monitoring of enforcement outcomes during the period of expanded immigration arrests. Officials and researchers may use the figures to evaluate enforcement strategies, arrest priorities, and resource allocation.
